Revelations
by WowbaggerForever
Summary: Warning: Spoilers for CoHF and Clockwork Princess! When Alec gets mortally wounded, help comes from the most unexpected places; like a mysterious girl in pyjamas who may or not be a shadowhunter. Time spent in LA will reveal unexpected things about everyone. Rate and review please!
1. Unexpected Saviours

**A/N: Hi guys! This idea just sort of came to me and I decided to go with. It will end up being a multi-chapter, but not very long. I'm having a bit of writers block with my other stories but I will still be updating them, have no fear! **

**Warning: This contains spoilers out the wazoo for clockwork princess and city of heavenly fire. **

**Disclaimer: Obviously I do not own any of these characters. Not even the nameless demons.**

_She was dreaming. Dreaming of boy with black hair and blue eyes. This was a normal occurrence, she often dreamt about that particular combination. But this time, he wasn't _her _boy with blue eyes, he was a different one, he was Alec Lightwood. _That's weird_, she thought, _why am I dreaming about Alec Lightwood? _The boy was surrounded by demons. There were a few other shadowhunters, she recognised Jace; the boy with James's eyes, but mostly there demons_. _Suddenly the boy was falling to the ground, bleeding from a gaping wound in his stomach. She felt her heart stop, she felt her world come crashing down._

Tessa woke up sweating and leaped out of bed to set about making a portal. She wasn't particularly good at portals, but desperate times called for desperate measures. "Tessa?" She looked back at the bed, Jem was sitting up and looking curiously at her, "What are you doing?" He asked. "You know how I sometimes get dreams in the perspectives of people I've changed into?"

"Yes?"

"Well I just saw Alec Lightwood. I think I was seeing him through Magnus's eyes. He was dying. A demon stabbed him." Jem was out of bed in a second, pulling on pants and a shirt. "Should I get weapons?"

"Yes, for you and for me. Hurry." Luckily Jem was good at hurrying and Tessa's portal making skills had improved drastically. Jem came back just as she was finishing up the portal, they strapped on some knives, pulled out seraph blades and jumped through, Tessa envisioning the place from her dream and she lept.

Jace felt Alec fall before he saw it. His Parabatai rune was on fire. He looked back and saw Alec on the ground, with Magnus kneeling over him, lying in a pool of blood. Jace felt the blood drain from his face. He ran towards Alec, hacking apart demons as he went, Isabelle was doing the same.

The only people who were actually fighting the demons were Clary and Simon, the least trained pair in the group. Simon hadn't even ascended yet, though he had finally remembered everything about his past. Izzy had been in such a good mood lately that she had dragged them all out clubbing. But walking around, slightly drunk, at night in New York was not a good idea. They had been ambushed, surrounded by more demons than Jace had ever seen outside of an army. They were screwed. And Alec was bleeding.

Jace was quickly losing hope. They were surrounded and there was nothing anyone could do, especially with Alec in his current state, and there wasn't any time to bring in back up. _Of course_, thought Jace, _we save the world twice and then are defeated by a demon mob in a back alley._

Suddenly, two people wielding knives and seraph blades burst through a portal. One was a man, with dark hair and dark eyes, runes covering his arms. Jace recognized him as the man who had been brother Zachariah. His companion was a girl, she had no runes anywhere and she was wearing pyjamas. But she was holding a seraph blade to showing that she was also a shadowhunter. _Weird_. Thought Jace.

The girl was yelling and pointing at Alec, "Get him through the portal, you can heal him there!" Her and the man brushed past the group and started fighting the demons, holding them back. Everyone stared, Jace was surprised, which hardly ever happened, and even Magnus seemed a bit shocked. "What-?" He started, but the girl shushed him, "I said get him through the portal Magnus, has old age made you deaf?" Magnus picked up Alec and jumped through the portal. Brother Zachariah turned to Jace, "You too." He said, then looked around, "All of you get through the portal!" Isabelle went through the portal after her brother, dragging Simon along with her. Clary grabbed Jace's hand and tugged, Jace _come on_ she pleaded, and pulled him through. He saw the pyjama girl create a force field before grabbing Zachariah's hand and jumping through after them.

They came out in a bedroom. There were bookshelves lining the walls and a bed, which was unmade. This would have bugged Jace if he hadn't been distracted by the state of his brother. Alec was lying on the bed, his blood soaking the sheets, Magnus was desperately moving his fingers over his body, doing some sort of magic on him. Jace rushed to the bedside, pulling along Clary, who he still had caught in a death grip. "Could one of my runes help?" She asked. Magnus looked at her with wide eyes, "I don't know. I don't know what's wrong with him."

**A/N: So what did you think? Sorry for the clifhanger, but I will update soon. Please favourite, follow, review or PM me. Really do anything to show your support. Thanks!**


	2. Unasked Questions

_**A/N: What!? An update!? I know that it's been literal ages since I published this, but Merge (my other fanfiction) has been keeping me busy. I will try to start updating this more frequently as Merge is almost over. **_

_**Also, the demons I name in this are real demons, but not demon species. I just found them on Wikipedia, I'm not even sure if they're actually poisonous, I just needed to demon-y names and these ones sounded cool.**_

* * *

There was a shocked silence.

"What?" Asked Jace. Isabelle had been about to ask the same thing. Magnus slumped down, putting his head in his hands, "I-I don't know, I've never seen this before." Isabelle felt numb. She could _not_ have another brother die. Not again. Especially when this one would all be her fault as well. Why in Raziel's name had she wanted to go clubbing? She had already lost Max, her parent's marriage had fallen apart, and she had even lost Simon for a while! She needed Alec; she needed her big brother. He couldn't die now, he just couldn't! But it was hard not to lose hope when she saw the look on Magnus's face. If Magnus couldn't save Alec who could?

"Let me see." Said a deep voice behind her. Zachariah, the sexy silent brother, was leading the girl in pyjamas (Isabelle thought her name might be Tessa) to the bed where Alec lay. He gently moved Magnus aside, taking his place to exam in him. Tessa took Magnus's hands comfortingly and he put his head on her shoulder, she stroked his hair gently and murmured something in his ear. Isabelle had never seen Magnus so vulnerable and comfortable with anyone except Alec. He obviously knew this girl well, or else he was just really devastated. Possibly both.

Isabelle turned her attention back to her older brother. His skin was bubbling and blistering. Zachariah ran his hands over Alec's body, peering at Alec's skin. "I think I've seen this before…" He mused, "When I was a Silent Brother…" Magnus's head shot up, "Really?" Zachariah nodded slowly, "I believe it's what happens when two different demon poison enter the system… If he was a mundane it would have killed him, but his runes are protecting him. It's very rare though, and the only way to cure it is to find out exactly which two demon poisons they are, then remove them individually." Magnus broke away from Tessa, "Are you sure that's what it is James?" He asked, pain lacing his voice, _"James?"_ thought Isabelle and she saw confused looks pass fleetingly over the faces of the others. Zachariah-or James she supposed- looked at Magnus evenly, "I'm sure Magnus."

"Then how do we find out which two demon poisons they are?" Asked Jace. He sounded annoyed, but anyone could see the fear in his eyes, for once his emotions were open for the whole world to see. "Well, we need to find out his symptoms." Said Zachariah/James absently looking at Alec's chest with concern. "Well how the hell are we supposed to find out his symptoms if he's unconscious?" Jace snapped. Zachariah/James swallowed and looked up at Tessa who pulled her gaze away from Magnus to meet his eyes. They seemed to have a silent conversation, the sort that could only pass between two people who had known each other for a very long time. Then Tessa walked into the closet and closed the door behind her.

Isabelle watched her go with confusion; she loved clothes as much as the next girl, but this really wasn't the time! Zachariah/James didn't seemed fazed by this behaviour at all, "Jace Clary, start drawing runes on his chest, any type of angelic protection runes, will slow the poison down. Jace, as his Parabatai your runes will have added power, and Clary, well you have magical angel powers." The two of them went to work immediately, looking slightly confused but not questioning his orders. James/Zachariah had been a silent brother, if anyone could help Alec, he could.

Tessa came out of the closet in a loose black t-shirt and black boxers. She laid a hand on her boyfriend's shoulder and pushed him gently aside, but he grabbed her hand, "Are you sure you're up for this?" He asked, his voice gentle. She nodded, smiling slightly, "It won't be the worst scrape I've gotten into because of Lightwood." He still looked worried. "I'll be fine Jem," she said, reassuringly, "I'll be fast, and you'll be right here, if I collapse you can catch me." _"Why would she collapse?" _Isabelle wondered.

* * *

Jace was wondering the same thing; this whole situation was extremely confusing and he was having trouble thinking straight, Alec was dying and everything seemed hopeless. Hopelessness did not sit well with Jace. He knew he had been rude to the ex-Silent Brother, but he hadn't been able to help himself; being rude was his automatic defense mechanism. He was glad, at least, that he had the job of drawing runes, it helped that he was able to do something to help, however small that something was.

The girl was bothering him too. Tessa, her name was, Tessa Gray, she the girl who had given Clary James Herondale's ring, Clary had told him. But she had never spoken to him. Even now, Tessa had not met his eyes once. Still, Jace felt strangely drawn to her, not in the way he felt drawn to Clary, but drawn nonetheless. He felt like he could trust her, and Jace never trusted strangers.

He decided to concentrate on the runes he was drawing; they were simple, he understood them, he knew what he was doing. He observed the odd, romantic moment between Tessa and the man whose name was either Zachariah, James or Jem (Jace personally thought that Jem suited him best) with mild curiosity, but mostly impatience. If they were going to save Alec they had to do it quickly, not stand around talking about _Tessa_'s health.

Tessa laid her hand carefully on Alec's forehead and closed her eyes. Jace watched her. He watched her as she took in a deep breath, seeming to breath in Alec's very essence. Then, slowly, something strange started to happen to her. Tessa's hair darkened, and retracted into her head, her shoulders became broader and she seemed to get taller, her skin paled and her face changed. Suddenly, it was not Tessa standing there, but Alec.

Everyone was staring at her… or, him, except for Magnus who never took his eyes off the real Alec. Jem was looking at her with intense concern, and a moment later, Jace found out why. Tessa-Alec cried out and collapsed, just as the real Alec had, and Jem caught her/him in his arms. "Are you alright?" He asked, Tessa-Alec just groaned in response, and closed his/her eyes. A few tense moments past, filled with unasked questions and unspoken worry.

Tessa turned back into herself, and stood shakily, leaning on Jem for support and looked at Alec with empathy, "I know his symptoms. We must act quickly. He is in pain." She spoke like someone who was nearly delirious with fatigue but nobody questioned her. Jace honestly wouldn't know where to begin.

"An anansi demon and an echidna." Tessa told Magnus, "I'll take the anansi poison." Magnus nodded and the two warlocks set to work, they stood on either side of Alec and put their hands on his wounds, Jace assumed that they were drawing out the poison, but all he could concentrate on was the mysterious girl who had become, for a moment, the exact duplicate of his Parabatai.

_Who the hell was this girl? _What_ the hell was this girl? And why was she helping them?_

* * *

_**A/N: Not my best chapter, but it's purpose was mostly to set up the rest of the story, which I promise will be more interesting. **_

_**Please review, and I will actually update this time.**_


	3. Understanding Jem

Finally, Magnus and Tessa took their hands off of Alec. Well, Tessa did, Magnus just moved his hands up onto Alec's face and placed their foreheads together with a relieved sigh. Jace and Clary moved away from Alec to give Magnus room, "Did it work?" Asked Simon hesitantly. Tessa nodded, clearly exhausted, and the tension in the room dropped dramatically, "Thank the angel." Whispered Isabelle. Zachariah stepped forward and put his hand on the small of Tessa's back, "You should rest now Tessa." He told her. She shook her head half-heartedly but leaned against him anyways. Zachariah/Jem/James chuckled, "Lie down on the couch, I'll make some tea… We can handle Alec."

He picked Tessa up, bridal style and carried her out of the room. Tessa giggled a little and made faint protests, but anyone could tell she was exhausted. Once they were out of the room Simon looked around hesitantly and asked, "Um, who were they, exactly?" The rest of them (except Magnus) shrugged, "_She_ is Tessa Gray." Said Clary, "I met her at mom and Luke's wedding, and he _was_ Brother Zachariah. But that's all I know about them. Magnus? You called him James." They all turned to look at Magnus, but he was fully engrossed with his boyfriend. He grunted when he heard his name, "Oh? James? Yeah- go ask him."

Simon rolled his eyes at the response, but Clary thought it was sweet, how absorbed he was by Alec. "We can go talk to them." She offered, indicating herself and Simon. She figured that Jace and Isabelle would want to stay with their brother. Isabelle had moved to Alec's bed and was holding his hand and Jace was alternating between sitting next to her and pacing around the room. The two Lightwoods nodded, and Clary and Simon walked out of the bedroom.

They found themselves in a large apartment, the walls of which were lined with bookshelves which almost completely full. Clary supposed that since Tessa was an immortal she had had a lot of time to collect the books. She must really love to read. There was also a lot of sheet music, mixed in with the books. A music stand with a violin stood in one corner, next to a window.

Apart from the bedroom there was a large living room that seemed to double as a dining room, judging by the large table in one corner. Also a kitchen, filled with foods and appliances from different eras and countries. There were a couple closed doors leading to other rooms and out of the apartment, and a large window, that showed what seemed to be the LA skyline. _"Huh. We're in LA"_ thought Simon, only vaguely surprised that they had been magically transported to a city on the other side of the country.

Tessa was lying on a sofa in the living room as Zachariah/James/Jem covered her with a quilt. He stroked her hair back and kissed her forehead. Simon broke the moment by clearing his throat, "Um… Hi?" The dark haired man looked up, looking surprised and a little amused. "Yes?"

"We were wondering, um… What we should call you." Said Simon. Zachariah/James/Jem chuckled, "Well, you can call me whatever's easiest, I guess. You knew me as Brother Zachariah, so you can call me that. But my real name is James Carstairs. Most people call me Jem."

"Carstairs?" Asked Clary, "Like Emma?" Jem nodded, "My uncle was her ancestor, so we're cousins… Sort of." He smiled, "Sorry if it seems confusing." Simon shrugged, "Our lives are all confusing. We live in the shadow world." Jem laughed, "True. Do you guys want some tea?"

"Tea?" Said Clary.

"I have lived in China, England, America, and more. I have lived during the Victorian era and the twenty-first century and the one thing that has always remained the same is tea. It is a drink for any occasion, and it is great for comfort, and calming down nerves." Jem replied, smirking, as he went off to the kitchen. He took out a kettle and started filling it up with water.

Clary watched him then looked back at Tessa, "Is she going to be okay?" She asked. "Of course she is. Magic just takes a lot out of her, especially making portals and changing. And she had to do both of those in a matter of hours, while short on sleep. She'll be fine once she's rested."

"Changing?" Asked Simon. "That's what we call it when she turns into other people, like she did with Alec." Said Jem. "Yeah- how does she do that?" Asked Simon, "Magnus has never done anything like that."

"That's because he can't." Said Jem, which a touch of pride in his voice, "Tessa is the only person in recorded history to be able to do what she does. If she touches someone, or something that belongs to them, she can change into that person. Not just physically, but emotionally and mentally too. That's how she could find out Alec's symptoms, she literally _became_ him."

"That's so cool!" Simon exclaimed, "She's like Doctor Who when he regenerates!" Jem looked confused, "Doctor Who?" He asked. "It's a TV show." Explained Clary. "Oh. I haven't completely caught up with pop culture yet." Said Jem. "So _you're_ like Captain America!" Said Simon, not missing a beat. "That's the- superhero, right?" Asked the ex-silent brother. Clary and Simon nodded, laughing.

"So you and Tessa have been together for a long time." Said Clary as the water boiled, and Jem started pouring it into an old fashioned Chinese teapot. He looked over at her adoringly, "Yeah, we met in the nineteenth century, at the London Institute. We fell in love in less than a month. We were actually engaged; we were going to get married young because I was dying. But there was this man... He hated the Nephilim, wanted us all to die. He took my medicine and took Tessa. We defeated him eventually, but we couldn't have our wedding and I had to become a silent brother so that I wouldn't die."

Clary and Simon were silent. Jem just sighed, "It's alright. We still get to be together, it just happened a little later than we planned. And thanks to Jace curing me, we have a whole lifetime together, instead of just a few months. What flavour of tea do you like?"

"Anything is fine." Said Clary. Jem started pulling out cups and tea bags. Simon stared at him with fascination. He had met his fair share of immortal people, but he had never met an immortal shadowhunter before. Jem had the raw, youthful, looks of a Nephilim teenager, but there was a maturity to him, that reminded you of his age and experiences. "What do you do for a living?" He asked, suddenly realising that it might be different than what other shadowhunters did. "I hunt demons occasionally, but it's not the same now that Will- my Parabatai- is dead. Tessa helps me. She also runs a small bookshop and I give violin lessons."

"You play violin?" Asked Clary, surprised. Music wasn't something she associated with silent brothers; then again, neither was being engaged to a warlock. "I've always played." He said, "It's actually how me and Tessa met; I was playing in my room and she heard me. She came in to listen, even though it was the middle of the night. She looked like an angel…" He drifted off, looking through the kitchen doorway at Tessa, who was sleeping soundly on the couch. He shook himself out of his memories, "Let's go bring the others some tea."

They walked into the bedroom, where they found the others in pretty much the same positions that they left them. Jem started handing out tea as Clary went to Jace and Simon went to Isabelle. When Jem got to Magnus the warlock pushed him away, but the younger man was adamant in his tea delivery, "Magnus, you need to drink something. It will help."

"I'm fine."

"Bullshit. Drink the tea."

"But-"

"Magnus, _Will_ was my Parabatai. Will_ Herrondale_, I've gotten pretty good at helping people who don't want help. I will convince you to drink this tea, it's your choice how long it takes." Announced Jem. He and Magnus had a short staring contest before Magnus rolled his eyes and relented, "Fine." He said, accepting the tea.

"Will Herrondale was your Parabatai?" Asked Jace. "My ancestor Will Herrondale?" Jem nodded, smiling a little. "You remind me of him. You have the same spirit."

"And irrational hatred of ducks." Added Magnus. The tea did seem to have calmed him. Jace looked excited, "My ancestor hated ducks? Awesome." Everyone burst out laughing. Then Alec moved a little and everyone shut up to watch him. This went on for a few more hours, the six of them would talk for a while, before Alec would move a little and everyone would stop what they were doing to make sure he wasn't relapsing.

"Um, do you have a bathroom?" Asked Jace eventually. "Go out the door, and the toilet's just on your right." Said Jem. Jace nodded and walked out into the living room. As he began to look for the bathroom, he saw Tessa, stretching and getting up from the couch. She froze when she saw him. Then looked away quickly. "Why do you do that?" He asked. She seemed surprised, "What?"

"You avoid eye contact with me, like I'm Medusa." She tilted your head and examined him, "Asking rudely blunt questions. Definitely a Herrondale." Jace decided to take that as a compliment. "So?" He prompted. Tessa took a deep breath, like she was preparing for battle, "Your eyes remind me of someone."

"Who?"

"James Herrondale."

"And, were you close with James Herrondale."

Then, Tessa did meet his eyes. She looked at him so intently it was as though she pierced his soul. "He was my son." She said.


	4. Unveiling the Past (Part 1)

_**A/N: Hey everyone, I know it's been a while since I updated, but I have finally finished my other story (merge) and so now Revelations will be my number one priority.**_

* * *

"_He was my son."_ _She said._

Jace stared at the warlock girl in confusion, no… in awe, no… _wait what?_, "You mean, you adopted him?" He asked, already guessing the answer. His guess was right; Tessa shook her head. "I gave birth to him." She said, "Just like I gave birth to his sister Lucie, who later became Lucie Blackthorn." Jace didn't know what to say, "H-how?" He asked. Jace Herondale was not usually one to be at a loss for words, but if Tessa was telling the truth, it meant that they were related. Jace had never been related to anyone before.

For her part, Tessa seemed like she was just as uncomfortable as he was. She moved awkwardly over to the other side of the couch and motioned for Jace to join her. He could hear the low voices of his friends and family and the other room and he wondered if he should just ignore the strange, probably sleep deprived, warlock and go back to them. But he didn't do it. He looked at Tessa, who was watching him carefully. She certainly _seemed _sane, and she had been the one to save Alec's life. He decided to hear her out. He sat down next to her, and nodded, indicating that he wanted to hear her story. Tessa took a deep breath and started.

"A long time ago, back in the 19th century, before the accords were signed, the Warlock John Shade and his wife were killed by a group of Shadowhunters, lead by Aloysius Starkweather." Tessa glanced up at Jace, to make sure he was listening before continuing, "What the Shadowhunters didn't know, or didn't care about, was that the Shades had an adopted son. He tried to complain to the Clave about the murder of his parents, but predictably they ignored him. So he vowed revenge." Tessa winced slightly, and Jace found himself leaning forward, he didn't understand what this story had to do with anything, but it was still seemed like it would be really interesting. "I do not know what the Shades named their son," Said Tessa, "But after they died he renamed himself Axel Mortmain."

"Hand of death." Jace translated, Tessa nodded, "He wanted to spite the Nephilim by calling himself something that would sound like a Shadowhunter name. However, he did not attack the Clave directly, he was much to smart for that." She said it bitterly, "Axel Mortmain founded the Pandemonium club." Said Tessa, like it was the most disgusting thing he could have done. "Pandemonium- like the night club?" Asked Jace. "The organization has changed greatly in the past one hundred years." She replied, "When I was young it was a group that mundanes could join in order to have the opportunity to gamble with downworlders and learn about their powers. It was also the front for a terrorist organization of demons and downworlders whose soul goal was to exterminate the race of Shadowhunters."

Jace stared at her in open-mouthed horror. Tessa laughed a little, "Don't worry, they didn't succeed. Obviously. But they came pretty close." Jace closed his mouth, aware that in the past five minutes he had done more idiotic things then he usually let him self do in the space of a year. Clary, occasionally Alec, and _very _occasionally Isabelle, were the only people that he usually let see him vulnerable, but Tessa's piercing grey eyes and blunt manner of speaking, made it near impossible to act tough.

"Mortmain wanted to create an army of indestructible automatons, powered by the souls of demons." Said Tessa, as if it were a perfectly normal goal.

Jace went back to gaping.

"He was able to invent some automatons that could follow orders, and were great fighters, but in order to infuse the demon souls into them he needed a formula that his father had created."

"But his father was dead." Said Jace, "Yes, his father was dead." Agreed Tessa, "So Mortmain came up with a plan that would allow him to both communicate with his father, and get revenge on Aloysius Starkweather. He created a creature that could not only change their form, but access their memories, even after they died."

"You." Said Jace. Tessa nodded again, "There are many Warlocks and Faeries who can shape shift, but none of them can do what I do. Because I am not a warlock."

"But you said-" Jace began, but Tessa cut him off, "I call myself a warlock, because that is the closest approximation of what I am, but in truth I am really my own unique species. At some one point Magnus tried calling me a "warlephlim", but it didn't really catch on. See, warlocks are generally understood to be the offspring of a demon and a mundane, but my mother was, in fact, a shadowhunter, and since Nephilim blood is dominant, many people (the silent brothers included) would not call me a Warlock, but a Shadowhunter."

"But that's impossible." Said Jace. "Is it?" Asked Tessa, "Why?"

"Because the children of shadowhunters and demons are always stillborn."

"Why?"

"Because our runes protect us."

"And all shadowhunters have runes?"

"Yes. Obviously."

"What about Clary?" Jace blanched. She was right, Clary hadn't received her first rune until the day that they had met, "You mean Clary could have been- a demon could have-" Jace couldn't bring himself to say the words, they too awful to contemplate.

"Don't worry." Said Tessa, "When Jocelyn first came to me and Magnus, we warned her about what had happened to my mother and we convinced her to let us put a protection spell on her, to protect her from demons. I only used Clary as a theoretical exception to the rule." Jace let out a relieved breath. "You may have noticed," Tessa continued, "That the Seelie Queen does not particularly approve of shadowhunters." Jace nodded. "Well, she _did_ approve of Mortmain's plan to destroy them, so when Alonyus Starkweather had a grand daughter, she agreed to switch the Nephilim baby with a sickly mundane one. The poor human girl died when she was given her first rune, and Adele Starkweather grew up to be Elizabeth Gray; my mother.

"After she got married, Mortmain sent her a demon, in the form of her husband, and you can guess what happened next." She was right, Jace knew exactly what had happened. "My parents died when I was three. I was raised by my aunt who died when I sixteen. After she died, I moved to England, where I was immediately kidnapped and shown how to use my powers. They used to whip me until I changed my form." Jace felt a rush of sympathy. He had been raised by Valentine; he knew what it was like to be mercilessly trained for a specific purpose.

But surprisingly, Tessa's eyes had become dreamy when she started talking about her capture, "I was nearly at the end of my rope." She said, "But then… At just the right moment, I was rescued by a handsome stranger." She giggled, "It was a bit cliché, I have to admit."

"Who was he?" Jace asked, though, again, he already guessed the answer.

"He was William Herrondale."


	5. Unveiling the Past (Part 2)

"_William Herondale"_

Jace grinned; he couldn't help it. He loved it when people admitted that he (or his ancestors) were attractive. He was naturally cocky and proud of it. Tessa grinned too. "Now don't go getting any ideas, he was a complete jerk to me. A charming jerk, a loveable jerk, but a jerk nonetheless.

"See, he wasn't raised as a shadowhunter. Edmund Herondale, his father, had his marks removed after he fell in love with a mundane woman who refused to ascend. All he took from the shadow world was a pixis containing the first demon he had ever caught. When he was twelve, Will and his older sister Ella opened the Pixis for fun, and the demon came out and cursed him, saying that anybody who looked on him would love him would die. The next day Ella was dead."

"To love is to destroy." Breathed Jace. Tessa eyed him curiously, "Exactly. What had actually happened was that the demon had pricked Ella, and poisoned her. The curse was actually fake. But Will didn't know that. He fled to the London Institute and set about making sure that no one would ever love him again."

Jace felt suddenly connected to his ancestor in a way that he never had before. He knew what it was like to feel as though you need to push everyone in the world away. "Did he hurt you?" He asked Tessa. She smiled sadly, "He told me that there was no future for a Shadowhunter who dallies with warlocks." Jace's eyes widened, "Shit."

"Shit is right." Said Tessa, "It was one of the worst things that anyone had ever said to me. Especially since at the time I was already half in love with him… But he was just doing what he thought was right. As soon as he said that to me he went straight to Magnus and asked him for help with breaking the curse. Magnus agreed, but it still took them a while to figure out that the curse wasn't real, in the mean time me and Will drifted apart, and I started to fall in love with his Parabatai."

"Jem." Said Jace. To him this was actually one of the weirdest pieces of news yet. He couldn't imagine how it would be to fall in love the same person his Parabatai was in love with (granted, his Parabatai was gay, and in love with a sparkly warlock), it would be so awkward and tense. But Jem hadn't seemed bitter about anything concerning Will or Tessa.

"Jem and Will were closer than any Parabatai I have ever met." Said Tessa, "Their souls were… Intertwined. Will had left home, and pushed everyone away. Jem was the only person who he was nice too, because he already had a terminal illness. And Jem had watched his parents be murdered, he spent all of his teenaged years dying. Will was the only one who didn't pity him, who didn't make him feel weak.

"The two of them were so reliant on each other that it was really impossible to fall in love with one of them and not the other." She smiled wistfully. "Oh, and if you're wondering about Magnus, he and Will were actually really good friends. Before Alec, Will was the shadowhunter who Magnus had been closest too in his life. Unless you count me. But when Stephen joined the circle, Magnus sort of lost faith in the Herondale family." Jace nodded. "Anyways, Magnus eventually figured out that the curse wasn't real. Unfortunately, he found out on the same day that Jem and I became engaged. Which made things very awkward for Will and me. Not as awkward as thinking that he was my brother would have been," She glanced at Jace with a spark of amusement in her eyes, "but very awkward nonetheless."

"So what happened with Mortmain?" Asked Jace. "The day before my wedding he kidnapped me." Tessa said, "Jem became to sick to follow me, so he got Will to go instead. He became a silent brother that night; it was the only way for him to survive." Jace nodded, that's what Jem had told him. "Mortmain forced me to change into his father and give him the formula, I didn't want to, but I had no choice. Then he locked me in a room. He wanted to marry me and breed a new all-powerful race."

"You can give birth, because you're not a full warlock?" Clarified Jace. "Yes, I also don't have a warlock's mark, which is useful." She replied.

"Now, the head of the London Institute, where we all lived at the time, was one of the greatest shadowhunters who I have ever met; Charlotte Fairchild, who later became the first female consul ever and your girlfriend's ancestor. Charlotte discovered where Mortmain was hiding, but the consul at the time was a misogynistic pig who didn't want to be overshadowed by a woman, so he forbid the council from doing with the information she found."

"So they didn't do anything?"

"Actually, they held a meeting where they all got together and got ambushed by automatons."

"That sounds like something that the consul would do. Did they survive that?"

"Half of them died. But luckily, at the same time, Charlotte led a group of five shadowhunters, three silent brothers (including the new brother Zachariah), three trained mundanes, and Magnus through the first ever portal, to join me and Will at Mortmain's lair. They helped free me and we started fighting the automatons, but we were totally outnumbered and runed blades didn't affect them."

"How did you win?" Asked Jace. Tessa grinned proudly, "I killed him, and all the automatons died, even the ones that were attacking the council, that's how half of them survived.

"Since Jem had become a Silent Brother we had to terminate our engagement, but me and Will were eventually married and we had two children. James and Lucie. You are James's descendent." Tessa finished her story and sat back, but Jace wanted more, "How did you kill him?" He asked. "Who?"

"Mortmain."

"Oh. When my mom was pregnant, Mortmain wanted to make extra sure that I survived. He harnessed the soul of the angel Ithuriel and put it inside a clockwork necklace, which he gave to her. That necklace protected me my whole life. But his plan backfired. Big time. Because that necklace had the angel's _soul_ inside of it, and I can change into anyone, if I can touch their soul." Jace found himself gaping yet again as he realised the full implications of what she was implying, "You… Changed into Ithuriel?"

"Yes I did, and the Angel was _not_ happy with Mortmain, I can tell you that. I crushed him with one hand."

"That's amazing." Said Jace. Tessa blushed, "I did what I had to, she said. It isn't easy, being different, but I'm grateful for it because I got to save so many lives. I can never turn into Ithuriel again, it's too dangerous and unpredictable, but that one time it was worth it."

There was a moment of silence.

Jace looked at her hard, he wanted to trust her, he didn't know why, but he did, however he still had so many unanswered questions. One in particular, "Why did you leave?" He asked.

"The shadowhuters?"

"Yes. Why did you leave our family?" Tessa's eyes were downcast, "There were a few reasons. One of them was them was that I made the clave uncomfortable. They're not exactly an open minded organisation, the only reason they put up with me was my husband. I loved Will, I still do, and I love my children, and my grandchildren… I love them all. But after Will died, something inside me broke. My children were all grown up; they didn't need me any more, and I didn't want to- I _couldn't_ watch them die as well. So I went to live with Magnus and become a warlock permanently."

Tessa clenched her hand and stared at them intently, "I regret it sometimes… Sometimes I think that if I had been more involved, your father wouldn't have joined Valentine. That's why I wanted to meet you." She looked up, into Jace's eyes, "I wanted you to know the truth about your heritage. I also wanted to tell you that your ancestors _were_ great men, that your father was just an exception to the rule. People have often said that the Herondale family contains both the best and the worst of the race of Nephilim. From what I've heard, you are part of the former group." She smiled proudly at him, but her expression became unsure when he smile back.

"I know it's a lot to take in, and I'm not trying to replace the Lightwoods, or anything; they will always be your real family, but I just wanted you to know I'm here… for you."

Jace's mind was racing at a hundred miles per hour. He didn't know what to say or think. He opened his mouth to respond, but just as he was about to speak, the bedroom door opened and Clary flew out.

"Jace!" She called, "Alec's awake!"


	6. Unusual Waking

_**A/N: Hey guys. I am s**_**_oo sorry this thing took so long. The next chapter will be faster, and it will also probably be the last one._**

**_Anyway, I hope you like it:_**

* * *

Alec woke up confused: He was in a strange room, in a strange bed and he was feeling incredibly strange all over. Also he wasn't wearing a shirt. He felt tingly, like he had just had about fifty runes applied to his body at once. He moaned incoherently and tried desperately to figure out why his abdomen felt like it was on fire.

"Alec!" Gasped Magnus, throwing himself onto his body, "You're alright!"

"Magnus?" Alec groaned weakly, "Where am I?" Isabelle launched onto the bed beside him, "You're awake! Are you OK? How do you feel? Where does it hurt?"

"Isabelle!" Yelled Alec (or at least tried to, ;it came out as more of a croak and dissolved into a fit of coughing). "Isabelle be gentle with him." Hissed Magnus, as he smoothed Alec's sweaty bangs from his forehead. Isabelle sighed, but let Simon lead her back a few feet.

Alec struggled to sit up. "What happened to me?"

"You got stabbed by two demons simultaneously." Whispered Magnus, sounding more scared than Alec had ever heard him. "And I survived?" Said Alec, "How?" Even feeling as groggy as he was, he could still remember that the percentage of people, even shadowhunters, who survived double demon poisoning was basically zero. He looked over at his boyfriend, "Did you… save me?" Magnus smiled sadly, "Not by myself, but luckily I have some very powerful friends."

"Catarina?"

"No Tessa."

"Tessa?" Alec asked. He vaguely remembered Magnus telling him about something about a girl named Tessa… It had had something… to do with Clary's name and Jace's ancestor, "You mean the one who- um… Who is Jace's…" He didn't know how to phrase it without giving away Tessa's history.

"Careful, you'll hurt yourself." Came a voice from the other end of the room. Alec looked up to see Jace grinning, and leaning against the doorframe, "I'm glad you're okay."

"And I'm glad you haven't jumped on me like everyone else." Alec grinned back. "Well I was in the other room when you woke up, Clary came and got me." Jace told him, "I was listening to a rather interesting story about my past which by the sound of things, _you_ already knew about."

Alec blushed, "Don't be mad, I didn't think it would be my place to tell you. Or Magnus's. I mean, he only told _me_ because I may or may not have accused him of having an affair with your ancestor."

"Will?"

"Yeah. Will."

"Okay, that's weird, but we'll talk about all that later. As far as the whole 'not telling me' thing goes, it's fine. I'm still a bit in shock but I'll be fine."

"Really?" Asked Alec. Jace nodded and went in for a light (and slightly awkward hug.

"OK. What are you two talking about?" Asked Isabelle, hands on her hips. "Umm…" Said Jace, apparently not wanting to share his newfound knowledge with _everyone. _

_"_You had an affair with Will?" Interjected Jem, in a fairly successful attempt to distract attention away from Jace's ancestry. Jace shot him a grateful look and Jem smiled him as Magnus squirmed, "Well…"

"Oh tell them Magnus! It's a good story." Said Alec, smiling mischievously. Magnus glared at him, "You know you don't look so good, maybe I should do another spell. The kind that _knocks you out_."

"You mean the kind you cast on Will?" Alec asked cheekily.

"Touché." Answered Magnus ruefully, "Though, if it works on you, the way it did on him, I'll get a kiss. Which, I gotta be honest, might be worth the embarrassment."

"You _kissed_ Will?" Asked Jem, wide-eyed. Magnus shrugged, "I had to break up with Camille." He defended.

"You kissed him to break up with Camille?" Jem said, "But you broke up with her _before_ I became a silent brother. How did I not know about this?"

"Well _somebody _managed to convince Will that he hallucinated the whole thing." Said Tessa pointedly from the doorway, where she had suddenly appeared, "So he didn't find out until years later." Jem laughed and took her hand, pulling her to sit on his lap.

Jace, on the other hand, stiffened at the sound of Tessa's voice, and looked over at her with a complicated mix of emotions that even he didn't really understand. She smiled gently at him before turning back to the rest of the group, "So, you're telling the 'you and Will make-out story' huh?" She asked Magnus.

"Only because they made me." He grumbled. Tessa giggled, "And Alec's doing OK?"

"Oh I'm doing fine, I just little feel a little numb." Alec told her, "It's nice to meet you though. I've heard some pretty funny stories."

"Yeah, more stories than me apparently." Said Jem, "How come you didn't tell me that Magnus and Will were lovers?" He asked Tessa, "Because I have to say it puts all those times he ran into my room in the middle of the night, pretending to be drunk in a totally different light." Magnus laughed and Tessa rolled her eyes, "I meant to tell you but I forgot." She said, "Sorry."

Jem sighed, "Fine. You're forgiven." He told her, "But if I find out that you've been withholding any other stories about… I don't know Gabriel Lightwood cross dressing…Uh… I'm going to…Make you regret it?" He winced, "Sorry, I'm bad at threats."

"Just a little." Tessa giggled.

"Aww you two are so cute." Said Isabelle, "You almost succeeded in distracting me from Jace's thing."

Jace groaned, "Izzy…"

"What? You can't tell me you're uncomfortable discussing it in front of strangers because they obviously already know what's up, while I, you're own sister, am floundering in ignorance."

Clary was silent. She had been watching Jace's face as the exchange went on, and the only time she had ever seen him look like this was when he had first found out who his father really was and he had been trying to figure out what his last name should be. He had looked conflicted, confused, and a little desperate, and all of those emotions were passing over his face now, as the rest of their friends bantered.

She looked over at Alec, who, between teasing his boyfriend, was shooting Jace concerned glances. He met her eyes briefly then looked away, with a frown. "You don't have to say anything if you don't want to." She whispered to Jace, squeezing his hand. He looked over at her and took a deep breath.

"No. I want to." He decided.

So he told them the story.


End file.
